Club formed for organic farmers

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 19

For the first time, a club — Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) Organic Farmers Club — dedicated to organic farming was formed at the PAU in Ludhiana today.

The vigorous efforts of the farmers, who were trying hard to establish a platform for organic farming, bore fruit with the PAU giving its nod to the formation of the club.

Farmers from Jalandhar, including Ashok Kumar, who has also been working for organic farming by forming a few NGOs, along with others, worked continuously to make the club possible.

The farmers, who are into organic farming where no chemicals and pesticides are used, said it was very important that a common platform should be provided to the farmers who are involved in organic farming so that their issues and problems would be addressed.

Seven members are a part of the governing body of the club. Buta Singh from Ferozepur is the president of the club and the director of extension education, PAU, will guide the activities of the club. The Vice-Chancellor of the PAU will be its chief patron.

Buta Singh said they had been demanding for the club for the past seven years.

“We desperately wanted the help of the university so that we also get recognisation. Our concerns and issues related to organic farming can be solved,” he said adding that this is the first such platform formed for organic farmers with the help of some university.

A school of organic farming was formed two months ago, which will also give information and guidance to the members on the issues related to agriculture and its subsidiary occupations.

The farmers said a quarterly meeting of the club would be held regularly.

Narinder Singh Dhoor, a farmer from Hoshiarpur, who is one of the core members of the governing body, said it would be a great platform for the organic farmers.

“Other farmers will get to learn more from this move. They will now listen properly as the PAU is attached with it. Earlier, when we used to tell them anything, they would not listen to us. That is why, we wanted some strong authority,” said Dhoor.

Tejinder Singh, professor of agriculture extension, who is also the coordinator of the club, said the farmers had approached them many times and the PAU would provide technical training to them. He said their issues and problems would be addressed.

Charanjit Singh Aulakh, professor of Agronomy at the PAU, who is associated with the school of organic farming, said the club was fully dedicated to the farmers.

“It is a common platform for the farmers where lecturers and seminars of experts and scientists will be held. The problem is that everyone uses different materials for their fields to avoid chemicals and pesticides. Now, the platform is common, they will be told right things,” he added.

‘Important to provide common platform’

The farmers, who are into organic farming where no chemicals and pesticides are used, said it was very important that a common platform be provided to the farmers who are involved in organic farming so that their issues and problems would be addressed.